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When an ultrashort and intense laser pulse is irradiated onto a target, generation of energetic ions and energetic X-ray has strong relations because electrons generate both ions and X-rays. In this work, we measured the relation between X-ray intensity and the ion energy. The temperature of X-ray was measure to be 300-350 keV when the laser intensity was 3.3$\,\times\,$1018W/cm2. The maximum proton energy was 1.65$\,\pm\,$0.25 MeV for the laser energy of 200 mJ at the optimum target position where X-ray intensity was maximum.

A guaranteed cost regulator design is presented for uncertain linear discrete-time systems, where its objective is to find a state feedback such that a quadratic performance index is less than a given value for any uncertainty. The design is recast as a feasibility problem described by a parametrized linear matrix inequality (LMI). A notion of probabilistic solution that satisfies the LMI for almost all uncertainties is introduced and an efficient randomized algorithm based on the gradient method with random samples of the uncertainty is developed. The proposed algorithm always stops in a finite number of iterations. Then, it can either find a probabilistic solution with a given probabilistic confidence or detect the infeasibility of the problem in the sense that the feasibility set is too small to contain a ball with a given radius.

Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) is applied to a bubbly two-phase turbulent flow in a horizontal channel at Re= 2 × 104to investigate the turbulent shear stress profile which had been altered by the presence of bubbles. Streamwise and vertical velocity components of liquid phase are obtained using a shallow focus imaging method under backlight photography. The size of bubbles injected through a porous plate in the channel ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 mm diameter, and the bubbles show a significant backward slip velocity relative to liquid flow. After bubbles and tracer particles are identified by binarizing the image, velocity of each phase and void fraction are profiled in a downstream region. The turbulent shear stress, which consists of three components in the bubbly two-phase flow, is computed by analysis of PTV data. The result shows that the fluctuation correlation between local void fraction and vertical liquid velocity provides a negative shear stress component which promotes frictional drag reduction in the bubbly two-phase layer. The paper also deals with the source of the negative shear stress considering bubble’s relative motion to liquid.Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) is applied to a bubbly two-phase turbulent flow in a horizontal channel at Re= 2 × 104to investigate the turbulent shear stress profile which had been altered by the presence of bubbles. Streamwise and vertical velocity components of liquid phase are obtained using a shallow focus imaging method under backlight photography. The size of bubbles injected through a porous plate in the channel ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 mm diameter, and the bubbles show a significant backward slip velocity relative to liquid flow. After bubbles and tracer particles are identified by binarizing the image, velocity of each phase and void fraction are profiled in a downstream region. The turbulent shear stress, which consists of three components in the bubbly two-phase flow, is computed by analysis of PTV data. The result shows that the fluctuation correlation between local void fraction and vertical liquid velocity provides a negative shear stress component which promotes frictional drag reduction in the bubbly two-phase layer. The paper also deals with the source of the negative shear stress considering bubble’s relative motion to liquid.

When an ultrashort and intense laser pulse is irradiated onto a target, generation of energetic ions and energetic X-ray has strong relations because electrons generate both ions and X-rays. In this work, we measured the relation between X-ray intensity and the ion energy. The temperature of X-ray was measure to be 300-350 keV when the laser intensity was 3.3?1018 W/cm2. The maximum proton energy was 1.65?0.25 MeV for the laser energy of 200 mJ at the optimum target position where X-ray intensity was maximum.

There is scant information on secular trends in the incidence and survival of ischemic stroke subtypes.

Abstract: New organic–inorganic nano-complexes were produced from a micelle of tri-block polymers; poly(styrene)-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)- b-poly (ethylene oxide) (PS-PVP-PEO) and tungsten compounds such as tungstate (W12−), undecatungstophospate (PW117−) and undecatungstosilicate (SiW118−) in acidic aqueous solutions. The size and morphology of the complexes were characterized by measurements of dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. This complex is assembled mainly by the charge interaction between the inorganic polyanions and the positively charged PVP block in the PS-PVP-PEO molecule, which was confirmed by zeta-potential and fluorescence spectroscopic studies. In the absence of the inorganic anions, the zeta-potential of the micelle was +11 mV at pH 3 due to the positive charge of the PVP block. When the inorganic anion was mixed with the PS-PVP-PEO micelle, decrease in the zeta-potential due to charge neutralization occurred with incorporation of inorganic anions into the PS-PVP-PEO micelle. The minimum zeta-potential was 0, −33, and −35 mV for W12− /PS-PVP-PEO, PW117− /PS-PVP-PEO, and SiW118− /PS-PVP-PEO complexes, respectively. Excess negative charge which occurred in the latter two complexes indicates that PS-PVP-PEO molecules bound PW117− and SiW118− by forces other than charge interaction. In addition, the incorporation of an inorganic polyanion into the micelle gave a new morphology to the micelle. In the absence of the polyanion, the PS-PVP-PEO micelles showed an extended conformation due to repulsive forces working among the positively charged PVP blocks. Addition of the polyanion caused the formation of shrunken forms of the micelles, since the charge repulsion was cancelled by the polyanion. This feature may be useful in developing a new type of functioning micelle.

Morphological change of a micelle of poly(styrene)-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS−PVP−PEO) polymer was induced by binding sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to the PVP block in acidic aqueous solutions. The change in the size of SDS/PS−PVP−PEO complexes was detected by dynamic light scattering measurements and atomic force microscopy, and the binding of SDS was confirmed by zeta-potential measurements. When the micelle was free from SDS in acidic aqueous solutions, the hydrodynamic diameter of the micelle was 216 nm, reflecting the extended conformation of the PVP block due to the repulsion between protonated pyridine units. As the cationic PVP block was electrically neutralized with anionic SDS, the diameter was gradually reduced concomitant with the decrease in zeta-potential and finally reached 175 nm when the PVP block was completely neutralized. The decrease in the diameter shows the morphological change of the PVP block from extended to shrunken forms. Further addition of SDS did not cause the changes of the diameter nor zeta-potential. This indicates that SDS was not bound to the PS−PVP−PEO polymer after the PVP block was fully neutralized and that the hydrophobic binding of SDS to the polymer was negligible due to the low concentration of SDS.

Sulfur-substituted silyllithiums were prepared for the first time, and their thermal stability was investigated. [(Mesitylthio)dimesitylsilyl]lithium (4) was prepared by a tin−lithium exchange reaction of the corresponding silylstannane (6) in THF at −78 °C in a quantitative yield. [Bis(mesitylthio)mesitylsilyl]lithium (5) was prepared by reductive cleavage of one of the Si−S bonds of tris(mesitylthio)mesitylsilane (8) in THF at −50 °C in 79% yield. The silyllithiums 4 and 5 underwent α-elimination of lithium mesitylthiolate to afford the corresponding silylenes, which were trapped in situ with triethylsilane, 2,3-dimethylbutadiene, or diphenylacetylene. To reveal the thermal lability of the sulfur-substituted silyllithiums in comparison with the organolithium counterparts, the electronic states of the model compounds CH3−S−SiH2^- and CH3−S−CH2^- were theoretically analyzed by ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-31+G** level.

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In a nonpolar solvent such as benzene (Bz), living anionic chains having Li as the countercations generally aggregate with each other through Li at their ends. Specifically, the bianionic chains having Li at both ends form an aggregated network. For investigation of the dynamics of the aggregates, polybutadienyl dilithium (PBLi2) bianionic chains were polymerized in Bz, and their viscoelastic behavior was examined in a vacuum with a magnetically floating ball rheometer. This rheometer magnetically kept a position of a steel ball in a flowing liquid contained in a glass cell (test tubing) and measured a force acting on the ball, and the viscosity was obtained from this force. The viscoelastic relaxation after cessation of the flow was also detected as a decay of the force. In the experiment for the living PBLi2/Bz solution, the deactivation of the PB bianions was avoided by coating the steel ball with a nonreactive polyethylene film and by rinsing the cell with a Bz solution of diphenylethylenyllithium before the PBLi2/Bz solution was vacuum-sealed in it. The zero-shear viscosity η0^(anion) and terminal relaxation time τ1^(anion) of the living PB bianionic chains of the molecular weight = 14 × 10³ and concentration = 2.2 wt %, measured at several temperatures T ≤ 30 °C, were orders of magnitude larger than those of the same chains deactivated with methanol. This result confirmed that the PB bianionic chains aggregated into a transient network. Thus, the viscoelastic τ1^(anion) was assigned as the lifetime of the Li aggregates sustaining the network. The lifetime independently estimated from ⁷Li NMR data was close to τ1^(anion), lending support to this assignment of τ1^(anion). Furthermore, the analysis of the viscoelastic relaxation intensity suggested that only a small fraction (≅2%) of the PB chains formed the large transient network and the majority of the chains formed smaller aggregates.

The evaporation polymerization of 6-dibutylamino-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-dithiol (DB) on iron plates using various gases and iron oxide compounds is investigated, and the mechanism is discussed. The polymerization activity of iron plates with adsorbed gas is higher than that for gas-desorbed iron plates. The activity is considered to be related to the concentration of adsorbed gases and surfacial components. The polymerization yield of DB films decreases with increasing film thickness, and it is found that the polymerization yield of DB films deposited on iron plates can be greatly enhanced by increasing the O/Fe ratios of the iron plates. The O/Fe ratios are related to the concentration of OH groups and H2O molecules on the iron plates. The presence of OH groups and H2O significantly affects the polymerization of DB films. The polymerization of DB films does not occur via oxidation in air. The OH group originates from the iron oxide FeOOH having a chemical formula of Fe2O3·H2O, which therefore acts as the oxidizing agents for deposited DB films. By transferring an electron and hydrogen from DB to Fe2O3, the thiyl radical of DB is generated. The thiyl radical yields DB polymers by coupling.

Abstract: Background. We aimed to evaluate the pathological features of hypovascular or avascular renal cell carcinoma (RCC), by the retrospective review of the histological features that coincide with hypovascular or avascular RCC. Methods. Seven hundred and ninety-one patients who underwent both preoperative angiography and nephrectomy were examined. Of these patients, the 126 patients (15.9%) who showed hypovascular or avascular angiographic features were selected. Patients with hemorrhage or cyst(s), or with at least 50% necrosis or more in the tumor, and those with renal tumor metastatic to the kidney were excluded. The criteria proposed by the World Health Organization (1998) were adopted for the histological classification. Results. Papillary RCC was the most frequently observed hypovascular or avascular renal tumor (44 cases; 34.9%). The vascularity differed among the variants, i.e., some cases had a basophilic and solid variant with avascular features, while the remaining cases had wide stromal organization showing hypovascular features. The second most frequently observed hyporascular or avascular RCC was chromophobe cell carcinoma (35 cases; 27.8%). No difference in vascularity was detected between variants, except for 2 cases with sarcomatoid changes (avascular features). The third most frequently observed hypovascular or avascular RCC was cyst-associated RCC (29 cases; 23%). All of the 7 RCCs originating in a cyst showed avascular features, and the remaining 22 cystic RCCs showed hypovascular features. The remaining hypovascular or avascular RCCs were cases of clear cell carcinoma accompanied by sarcomatoid changes (8 cases; 6.3%), spindle cell carcinoma (5 cases; 4.0%), and collecting-duct carcinoma (5 cases; 4.0%). Conclusion. Hypovascular or avascular RCC can be categorized as non-clear cell carcinoma and some clear cell carcinoma accompanied by sarcomatoid changes.

A new synthetic method to give wholly alicyclic polyimides with high molecular weights has been developed. The polymerization of cyclobutanetetracarboxylic dianhydride (1a) or bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-methanecarboxylic-3,5,6-tricarboxylic-2,3:5,6-dianhydride (1b) with various N-silylated alicyclic diamines (2) was carried out in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at room temperature, giving poly(amic acid trialkylsilylester)s (3) as precursor polymers that were hydrolyzed to poly(amic acid)s (4) with inherent viscosities up to 0.99 dL/g. Both polyimide precursors were readily converted to corresponding polyimides (5) by thermal treatment. These polyimides are readily soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide and dimethyl sulfoxide at room temperature, and showed high thermal stability (Td10 = 420−445 °C in N2) and excellent transparency at wavelengths above 250 nm. The average refractive index of the polyimide 5aa was 1.498, and the dielectric constant estimated from the refractive index was 2.47.

OBJECTIVE: To study the regulatory role of CD4-CD8- double-negative (DN) invariant T cell receptor (TCR) Valpha24JalphaQ T cells, a human counterpart of murine NK 1 + T cells, in the autoimmune process of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: We carried out a 2 step frequency analysis of DN Valpha24JalphaQ T cells in patients with SLE before and after prednisolone therapy; the frequency of DN Valpha24+ T cells was determined by 3 color FACS analysis and subsequently the frequency of Valpha24JalphaQ rearrangement among DN Valpha24+ T cells was determined by sequencing. RESULTS: DN Valpha24+ T cells were significantly increased in patients with active SLE compared to healthy subjects. In healthy subjects, invariant Valpha24JalphaQ TCR dominated in DN Valpha24+ T cells at a high frequency (93-100%). However, the invariant Valpha24JalphaQ TCR was not detected in DN Valpha24+ T cells from patients with active SLE, and instead 2 to 9 Jalpha genes other than the invariant JalphaQ were oligoclonally expanded in the patients. In inactive SLE induced by prednisolone therapy, the invariant Valpha24JalphaQ TCR could be detected in DN Valpha24+ T cells from all the patients and dominated in most of the patients. Further, oligoclonally expanded Valpha24+ clones other than the invariant JalphaQ gene in active disease states were significantly decreased by prednisolone therapy. CONCLUSION: The selective reduction of DN invariant Valpha24JalphaQ T cells is related to the disease progression of SLE, while DN TCR Valpha24 T cells other than Valpha24JalphaQ T cells constitute autoaggressive T cells in SLE.

Abstract: Background. To reduce unnecessary tests for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at low risk of metastasis, we designed a postoperative surveillance protocol for N0M0 RCC, based on the features of recurrence. Methods. Of 462 N0M0 RCC patients who underwent radical nephrectomy, 180 patients (39%) showed recurrence. We stratified these patients according to pathologi-cal T-stage (pT-stage) with consideration given to the pathological grade of malignancy (grade). A surveillance protocol was designed based on calculated disease-free survival rates. Results. The median time until recurrence was 36 months (range, 1 to 228 months), and 78.3% of all patients, recurrence was diagnosed within 5 years. The rate of recurrence increased in accordance with increased pT-stage: pT1a, 9.9% (10/101); pT1b, 29.8% (39/131); pT2, 41.7% (20/48); pT3a, 58.8% (60/102); pT3b, 60.9% (42/69); pT3c, 71.4% (5/7); pT4, 100% (4/4). Significant differences in disease-free survival rates were observed among the patients at all pT-stages, except for pT1b vs pT2, pT2 vs pT3a, pT3a vs pT3b, and pT3c vs pT4. Basically, a 5-year follow-up was conducted, except for the patients with pT1b (grade 1 + 2), pT2 (grade 1 + 2), pT3a (grade 1, 3), and pT3b (grade 1 + 2), who showed recurrence more than 5 years postoperatively. Conclusion. We conclude that our surveillance protocol for N0M0 RCC after nephrectomy, based on pT-stage and grade, is to some extent a reasonable guideline. However, a further survey of prognostic factors for RCC is necessary, because of the difficulty in predicting recurrence in patients with a low pT-stage and because of the presence of patients with late recurrence.

Background: In mice, natural killer (NK) T cells are specialized subsets of T cells that express an invariate T cell receptor (TCR) @a chain and NK markers. In particular, murine NK1^+/- T cells rapidly produce IL-4 and function as regulatory T cells. Objective: We investigated the distribution of invariate TCR V@a24J@aQ T cells in CD4^-CD8^- double-negative (DN) and CD4^+ T cell populations of healthy individuals. We also studied the NK phenotypes and IL-4 production of V@a24J@aQ T cells. Methods: The frequency of V@a24^+/- DN or CD4^+/- T cells was determined by three-color FACS analysis, and subsequently the frequency of V@a24J@aQ rearrangement among V@a24^+/- DN or CD4^+/- T cells was determined by sequencing. Results: While the majority of DN V@a24^+ T cells (68% to 88%) possessed TCR V@a24J@aQ, few of CD4^+ V@a24^+ T cells (0.4% to 4%) did, indicating that V@a24J@aQ T cells are a major population of DN T cells, but not of CD4^+ T cells, in healthy subjects. The DN V@a24J@aQ T cells expressed a natural killer surface receptor NKR-P1A and CD56, but not CD16, on the cell surface. Moreover, DN V@a24J@aQ T cells promptly expressed IL-4 mRNA by stimulation with anti-V@a24 monoclonal antibody in vitro. Conclusion: From these phenotypic and functional similarities of human DN V@a24J@aQ T cells with murine NK1^+ V@a14J@a281 T cells, we conclude that DN V@a24J@aQ T cells are a counterpart of murine NK1^+ T cells, suggesting that they may play a regulatory role in autoimmune responses in vivo. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;103:S445-51.)

We have synthesized novel heptaalkyl amphiphiles, Heptopus(12,12), Heptopus(12,14), and Heptopus(12,14), that have six identical outer alkyl chains (C12, C14, or C16) and a single inner alkyl chain (C12). Their monolayer properties were investigated by π−A isotherm measurement and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Limiting areas in their isotherms are 1.54, 1.38, and 1.40 nm² for Heptopus(12,12), Heptopus(12,14), and Heptopus(12,16), respectively, suggesting formation of close-packed condensed phases. An AFM observation of a monolayer of Heptopus(12,12) transferred onto a mica showed hexagonal packing of its alkyl chains. However, the outer and inner chains were not distinguishable. These results indicate that further elaboration on the molecular design of Heptopus is required to create novel two-dimensional molecular organization.

Lattice and grain-boundary interdiffusion coefficients were calculated from the concentration distributions determined for Zr-Hf interdiffusion in polycrystalline 16Y2O3·84(Zr1-x Hfx)O2 withx=0.020 and 0.100. The lattice interdiffusion coefficients were described byD=0.031 exp [-391 (kJ mol-1)/RT] cm2 sec-1 and the grain-boundary diffusion parameters bysD'=1.5×10-6exp [-309(kJ mol-1)/RT] cm3 sec-1 in the temperature range 1584–2116° C. Comparison of the results with those for the systems CaO-(Zr+Hf)O2 and MgO-(Zr+Hf)O2 indicated that the Zr self-diffusion coefficient was insensitive to the dopants in the fluorite-cubic ZrO2 solid solutions.

Bismuth-layer-structured ferroelectric thin films, SrBi2Ta2O9 and Bi4Ti3O12, have been prepared by laser ablation method on both Pt sheets and Si wafers at low temperatures of 400 ∼ 500°C. These thin films have been characterized by XRD, XPS, AFM, C-V, D-E hysteresis and J-V measurement. SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films have a good (105) preferential orientation, and Bi4Ti3O12 thin films have (117) and c-axis orientation on these substrates. Ferroelectric film-SiO2-Si structures show good C-V hysteresis curve owing to Si surface potential controlled by the D-E hysteresis. D-E hysteresis is obtained in Bi4Ti3O12 thin film prepared on Pt sheet, and the remnant polarization and the coercive force are 7.5 μC/cm2 and 72 kV/cm, respectively.

We have recently isolated a new endogenous substrate of 70 kDa for Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) from bovine adrenal medullary cells (Yanagihara, N., Toyohira, Y., Yamamoto, H., Ohta, Y., Tsutsui, M., Miyamoto, E., and Izumi, F. (1994) Mol. Pharmacol. 46, 423-430). Here we report the sequence analysis of the 70-kDa protein and examine its phosphorylation by various protein kinases in vitro and by depolarization of the cultured cells. Protein sequencing and immunoblotting revealed that the 70-kDa protein is chromogranin A (CgA) or a closely related protein. Partially purified CgA was phosphorylated by cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C as well as CaM kinase II. Tryptic phosphopeptide mapping patterns of CgA differed among these protein kinases. In 32P-labeled bovine adrenal medullary cells, 56 mM K+ increased the phosphorylation of CgA and catecholamine secretion in similar time- and concentration-dependent manners, both of which were inhibited by 20 mM MgSO4, an inhibitor of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. These findings suggest that CgA serves as a substrate for several multifunctional protein kinases and that the elevation of the intracellular Ca2+ stimulates the phosphorylation of CgA associated with catecholamine secretion in cultured adrenal medullary cells.

The effect of ionic repulsion among hydrophilic groups of arachidic acid molecules on the aggregation structure of the arachidic acid monolayer on the water surface was investigated on the basis of surface pressure−surface area (π−A) isotherm measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) measurements, and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observations. π−A isotherm and FT-IR measurements revealed that the degree of ionic dissociation of hydrophilic groups in the monolayer drastically changed in a pH range of 10−12. The arachidic acid monolayer in a slightly dissociated state of hydrophilic groups (pH = 5.8) did not exhibit the phase transition from an amorphous state to a crystalline one during compression. On the other hand, the monolayer in a highly dissociated state (pH = 12.6) showed the phase transition from an amorphous state to a crystalline one by surface compression at the subphase temperature, Tsp, below the melting temperature, Tm, of the monolayer, and also, the monolayer was still in an amorphous state without the phase transition to a crystalline state at Tsp above Tm. The aggregation structure of the monolayers on the water surface was systematically classified into “the crystalline monolayer”, “the amorphous monolayer”, and “the compressing crystallized monolayer” with respect to the thermal and chemical (intermolecular repulsive) factors.

Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) undergoes multisite molecular recognition at the air-water interface with mixed monolayers that are capable of complementary hydrogen bonding. Molecular images were obtained with an atomic force microscope (AFM) for mixed monolayers of guanidinium (G) and orotate (O) amphiphiles transferred from pure water and from aqueous FAD. The AFM image of the G/O mixed monolayer on FAD showed a periodic oblique pattern composed of two kinds of methyl peaks with different heights, whereas that on pure water showed a periodic hexagonal pattern of only one kind of methyl peak. The two-dimensional molecular patterning as height difference is conceivably caused by rearrangement of monolayer components based on specific recognition by the FAD template molecule.

Postprandial triglyceridemia and ‘remnantemia’ may better reflect the atherosclerotic risk than triglyceride (TG) levels in the fasting state. Recently, a new method was developed based on a monoclonal antibody recognizing an epitope distal to the carboxyl end of apo B48 which allows easy measurement of remnant-like lipoproteins (RLP). This study was performed in order to investigate RLP response to a standardized fat meal and establish a normal diurnal pattern of RLP in blood and compare it to platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis in healthy young men. We investigated 7 male volunteers (age range 18-23 years) who received a standardized fat meal (Othsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Japan) containing 32.9% lipids, 2.5% protein, 2.5% carbohydrate, 0.3% calcium and 0.1% phospholipids, and 74 mg/100 g cholesterol (C) at 7:30. The energetic value of this cocktail was 341 kcal/l00 g. Area under curve (AUC) responses in TG, RLP-TG and RLP-C after the meal were as follows: for TG 28.66 ± 8.94; for RLP-TG 17.54 ± 5.55; for RLP-C 1.27 ± 0.42 mg × dl-1 × h-1. These responses were correlated to each other. Surprisingly, collagen-induced platelet aggregation in whole blood was negatively related to RLP-C AUC. Fluctuation patterns of TG, RLP-TG and RLP-C concentrations during the day were remarkably similar, peaking in this particular group of subjects at 10:00-12:00 and at about 23:00, whereas cholesterol was decreasing late in the night and very early in the morning. This pattern was different from those of platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis parameters. Fibrinolysis parameters (t-PA, total PAI-1 free PAI-1 euglobulin clot lysis time) showed a diurnal profile peaking in the morning with nadir between 14:00 and 23:00. ACTH and cortisol profiles (determined on a separate occasion) were remarkably similar to variations in t-PA, total and free PAI-1. Suppression of endogenous ACTH and cortisol synthesis by dexa-methasone did not influence morning levels of t-PA, total PAI-1 free PAI-1 and PAI-1 in complex with tPA. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that in young healthy men circadian changes in serum lipids, such as RLP-C, RLP-TG, total C and TG have little influence on platelet aggregation. Their time course during the day was also different from fibrinolytic components. It seems that the diurnal rhythm of these processes is determined by different mechanisms.

A sex pheromone ofAscogaster reticulatus Watanabe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), identified as (Z)-9-hexadecenal, elicits males' antennal matesearching behavior. In order to localize the source of sex pheromone production, each body part was separated and extracted with hexane and then subjected to 9-cm Petri dish bioassay. The highest activity was found in thorax extract. Among legs, wings, and thorax, legs have the highest activity. Among fore, middle, and hind legs, hind legs have the highest activity. Among coxa and trochanter, femur, tibia, and tarsus, tibia has the highest activity. From these results, the presence of a tibial sex pheromone gland was suggested.

A case of heterotopic polyodontia was detected in a 6-year-old male laboratory cynomolgus monkey. A heterotopic tooth had erupted through the right maxillofacial area at the side of the nose, with a crustated surface. Macroscopically, the tooth was not connected with the right parotid. Radiography and histopathology of the transverse section of the lesion showed almost normal propriodentium containing alveolar bone and partial continuity with the maxillary bone. We believe this is the first case description of heterotopic polyodontia in a monkey.

In this study, a new computational modeling of the gas-surface interaction is proposed to explain the results of the scattering experiments of molecular beams from solid surfaces, especially from industrial surfaces. The characteristic feature of the model is to settle the adsorbed gas layer and the collision layer which involve adsorbed molecules and surface molecules, respectively. Incident molecules experience force due to the gas-solid potential gradient, changing their trajectories which is computed by Molecular Dynamics method. The gas molecules are scattered from the surfaces after collisions with adsorbed or surface molecules. The simulated results are compared with the experimental ones: i.e., flux distributions, TOF spectra and the average energy of scattered molecules.